


One Step at a Time

by starrybouquets



Category: MARGINAL#4
Genre: M/M, sometimes you need to feed yourself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29946162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrybouquets/pseuds/starrybouquets
Summary: I'll be with you every step of the way and every step that comes after
Relationships: Nomura R/Aiba Rui
Kudos: 1





	One Step at a Time

**Author's Note:**

> good evening arurui nation how are we feeling tonight  
> (crickets)

It was just another average morning at the Nomura household. Or, at least it should have been had Aru not been scrambling around the house trying to get ready.

Eru watched his older brother with amusement as he drank his tea. "Aru what's up you're never this frantic in the morning." Eru called out with a laugh as Aru dashed through the kitchen.

"F-frantic? I'm not frantic at all!!" Aru cried out as he skidded to a halt, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. Despite his protests he looked like a mess, his orange hair flipping in every direction and his cardigan, which was very clearly thrown on hastily, was barely staying on his shoulders.

Eru rolled his eyes jokingly as he set his mug down on the table, "alright, alright," Eru started as he brought his hand to his chin in thought, "you aren't being frantic, you're… Hm… Restless? Distressed? Panicked?" Eru started listing off adjectives with a cheeky grin and a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Eruuu! Please don't tease me!" Aru cried in embarrassment, "I-I just overslept this morning and need to catch up with chores is all!"

"Hmm? So it has nothing to do with the fact that Rui-kun's outside then?" Eru gestured towards the front door and as if right on cue the doorbell rang.

"Eh?! Rui-kun's here already!?" Aru almost made a jump for the door before he was stopped by Eru's hand on his shoulder.

"Nuh-uh, not so fast. Let's make you a liiittle more presentable for your boyfriend~" Eru grinned as he deftly fixed Aru's hair and straightened up his cardigan, "there! Alright go knock him dead~" Eru said as he playfully pushed Aru towards the door.

"Thank you Eru, you're the best!" Aru gave himself a moment to compose himself before opening the door while Eru gave him a quick thumbs-up and went back to his tea. "Rui-kun! Good morning!" Aru greeted happily as the door swung open.

"Good morning Aru-kun." Rui said with a smile, "apologies for coming over a bit earlier than we planned." Rui looked well put together as always, not a hair out of place and wearing a nice turtleneck that matched his hair. Aru had to remember to thank Eru later for making him look at least decent next to Rui.

"Oh, it's no problem at all! Come in!" Aru laughed as he stepped to the side and gestured for Rui to come in. The pair made their way into the kitchen where Eru was now casually scrolling on his phone with Mayuge pawing at his feet.

"Ah, good morning Eru-kun, Mayuge." Rui said with a small wave.

"Morning Rui-kun~!" Eru grinned and waved, "what brings you here this morning~" He could hardly hide his sly smile. Eru knew, of course he did, Aru couldn't hide anything from him. He just wanted an excuse to tease the two.

"Did Aru-kun not tell you? He invited me out today." Rui answered nonchalantly.

"So like a date then!" Eru said with a mischievous glint in his eye as he snapped his fingers.

"Wahh, Eruu!" Aru cried out as a blush started spreading on his face. All the while Mayuge looked up from where he was seated and padded over to Aru curiously. "Ah, I still need to take Mayuge on a walk!" Aru quickly snapped out of his embarrassment upon seeing the dog, "Rui-kun would you mind if we?" He asked looking at Rui timidly.

"I don't mind at all, it's another thing we can do together isn't it?" Rui smiled as he crouched down to pet Mayuge.

"Eru?" Aru looked over at his younger brother curiously.

"Gonna have to pass this time. I gotta get ready, I'm meeting up with Atom-kun in a bit~" Eru answered casually as he got up from the kitchen table, "have fun you two~!" he said with a wink as he headed to his room.

\--

Aru and Rui walked in comfortable silence as they walked Mayuge, taking in the scenery and enjoying each other's company. 

“Hey Aru-kun?” Rui broke the silence with a soft inquiry to which Aru hummed in response, “about what Eru-kun said earlier… Was this supposed to be a date?”

The sudden question almost made Aru trip over his own feet but luckily Rui was fast enough to help him keep his balance. Before Aru even had a moment to process how to respond to that question something caught Mayuge’s attention and made him tug on the leash dragging Aru forward. Aru quickly got control of the leash again and took a deep breath as his cheeks began to turn pink, “w-well, i-it could be a date if you want…” Aru quickly stuttered out, “b-but if not we could just be hanging out!”

A small frown made its way to Rui’s face, “but what do  _ you _ want it to be Aru-kun?”

“I- I think I would like it if it was a date…” Aru said softly as he hid his face in his hands. At this point Mayuge had stopped walking altogether and was looking up at the pair in confusion.

Rui let out a soft sigh and smiled, “then it’s a date. You can be honest about this kind of thing you know, we are dating after all.” Rui said assuredly as he gently brushed Aru’s hand and hooked his pinky around the other’s.

Aru slowly lowered his hands from his face and hesitantly took Rui’s hand. “R-right! We’re dating! We’re dating. We’re dating…” Aru suddenly covered his face with his free hand again, his ears beginning to turn red. “Haha~ I don’t know why but I suddenly felt really really happy saying that out loud…”

It was Rui’s turn to blush now, it was definitely harder to catch Rui off guard but something about Aru's sincerity made his heart race. "I have to admit seeing how happy you are, it made my heart skip a beat…" Rui said sheepishly.

Before Aru had even finished processing what he just heard Mayuge nudged against his leg and whined. "AAH! Mayuge! I'm so sorry, let's finish up your walk and get you back home. Come on Rui-kun!" 

And so the pair finished up Mayuge's walk with little problems.

\--

After dropping Mayuge off at the Nomura house Aru and Rui had decided to get lunch at a nearby cafe. 

"How did you hear about this place?" Rui asked as he looked around the cafe. It was a small and cozy cafe that was tucked away from the main street and apart from them there were only a couple other patrons.

"Teruma-kun brought Eru and I here last time we had a My Milky Way recording! The food here's really good and the atmosphere is really nice!" Aru answered dreamily.

“Teruma-kun certainly has excellent taste when it comes to things like this, I’m excited to see what they have.” Rui mused as he took a look at the menu.

“Oh! That reminds me! They have this really yummy sandwich with tomatoes in it here. Ah~ I want to get it again but I should probably try something else...” Aru’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the menu, clearly having trouble deciding on what he should get.

“Ahem… Aru-kun? I have an idea.” Rui said as he tapped on Aru’s hand, taking the other boy’s attention away from the menu. “I’m actually curious about that sandwich you like so I was thinking about ordering it. How about we share it?” 

“Rui-kun you’re a genius!” Aru’s eyes were practically shining like a first magnitude star, “Wah! Wait but half isn’t enough to fill you up! I’ll feel bad if you don’t eat enough because of me.” Aru’s brow furrowed again as he tried to think up a solution, “I got it! Let’s just split two entrees then! Rui-kun you can pick whatever you want for the second one, it wouldn’t be fair if I picked both of them.”

“That’s a great idea,” Rui smiled as he started flipping through the menu again, “let’s see… Hm… No, that might be too filling…” Rui muttered to himself as he considered the possible choices. 

While Rui was occupied with the menu Aru took the moment to admire the blue haired boy sitting in front of him. Aru was entranced by the way Rui’s bangs perfectly framed his eyes in a way that made it difficult to look anywhere else. How his eyes were such a lovely shade of blue that it reminded Aru of the ocean and how when light hit them at just the right angle flecks of purple would appear and shine like stars. Aru laughed softly to himself as he thought all this and wondered how it was possible for him to be dating someone as wonderful as Rui.

Rui looked up at Aru curiously, his gaze was soft, “what are you laughing about over there?”

“I was just thinking about how wonderful you are…” Aru answered without thinking, which caused red to spread across Rui’s cheeks. This immediately caused Aru to snap out of his daze, “I-I!” Aru felt his face growing hot, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was as red as the tomatoes he liked so much at this point. “I-I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking!” Aru stuttered, his arms flailing in panic.

“N-no, no, it’s okay, don’t worry. It’s just… That’s the first time anyone’s ever said anything like that to me, I’m really touched...” Rui smiled softly at Aru, his eyes were full of love, this was a smile meant only for him.

"W-well if no one's told you that before then I'll tell you everyday just how amazing you are! Rui-kun you're so smart and cool, and your singing and dancing is incredible, and I love how kind and thoughtful you are! And! And! When I’m with you everything just feels so right in the world!" Aru blurted out.

A look of shock made its way to Rui's face for a moment before he smiled again, "Aru-kun it's okay you don't have to do so much for my sake." He gave Aru's hand a light squeeze, "that's really very sweet of you though, thank you. And if we're still complimenting each other, I really admire how you step up and take charge even when things are difficult. How you care so deeply for others and how you're always willing to lend a hand. And being with you is such a comfort to me..."

" _ Oh... _ there are those pretty stars in your eyes I was thinking about earlier…" Aru whispered a bit dumbstruck over Rui's proclamation. "Ah! This is getting a bit embarrassing… H-how about we get back to lunch, t-then finish this conversation later, m-maybe…" Aru couldn't meet Rui's gaze but intertwined his fingers with the hand that held his.

"Oh, right! I was thinking that this salad I saw earlier would pair nicely with the sandwich. What do you think?" Rui inquired as he slid the menu towards Aru with his free hand.

"Wah~! That looks so good! Let’s get it!" 

The pair then ordered their food and enjoyed lunch idly chatting about nothing.

\--

After lunch Aru was feeling just a bit braver and tried to not so casually hold Rui's hand as they walked towards their next destination. Rui hummed softly in response and intertwined his fingers with Aru's. Perhaps both of them were starting to get a bit more comfortable. 

"So where are we off to now?" Rui asked as he wasn't very familiar with the area.

“Hehe~ That’s a surprise!” Aru said with a playful grin. Rui could have sworn he looked like Eru for a split second which was a bit concerning. “This will really knock your socks off!”

The pair walked for a little while longer before they stopped at a park entrance. Looking around Rui could tell he had never been to this one before and it was also very out of the way from Aru’s place so he doubted he'd ever been either.

“Aru-kun? This is a park?” Rui asked in confusion.

“It sure is! But there’s a surprise here I think you’ll really really like!” Aru was practically jumping with excitement now. “Come on, it’s just a bit further in.” Aru smiled as he led Rui forward.

As they walked further into the park Rui couldn’t help but notice a fair number of people that were passing by were roller skating. “Aru-kun is this perhaps?” Rui could feel Aru jolt the moment he asked the question.

“W-well, you’re just going to have to wait and see!” Aru said as he quickly composed himself and gave a light tug on Rui’s hand as if to signal for him to hurry a bit.

Not long after they arrived at a small skate rental stand in an open area of the park.

"Surprise! I know this isn't rollerblading but I thought it would be something fun to do together." There was a hint of anxiousness in Aru's voice.

"This was really sweet of you Aru-kun, thank you so much." Rui smiled warmly, "I haven't had much of a chance to skate recently, I'm really excited. How did you find out about this place anyways? Places made to skate aren't all that common as I recall…"

"Haha~ It took awhile to find this place but seeing how happy it made you makes it all worth it in the end!" Aru laughed joyfully as he gave another light tug on Rui's hand, "come on! Time's a wastin!"

The two rented their skates and were soon ready to go. Rui began skating around a bit to get acclimated to the skates, his movements were fluid and graceful. Aru on the other hand was having a bit of trouble with them which Rui immediately noticed.

"Aru-kun are you okay?" Rui asked as he offered his hand to Aru, which the other took gratefully.

"I-I've actually never roller-skated before… Sorry if I'm holding you back!" Aru apologized, he was so focused on doing something nice for Rui that he completely forgot he had no clue how to skate.

"No need to apologize, I'd be more than happy to help you out." Rui smiled brightly as he gave Aru's hand a light squeeze, "I've told you before you can rely on me anytime."

While keeping a steady grip on Aru’s hand Rui began to slowly lead Aru towards a more open area where there were less skaters around.

“I won’t let go unless you’re comfortable, alright?” Rui reassured Aru once more.

Aru nodded, “a-alright, I trust you 100% Rui-kun!” 

Aru tried his best to follow Rui’s instructions but it was a bit hard with his heart pounding so hard it was drowning out pretty much every other sound. Aru prayed his nervousness wasn’t as obvious as he thought it was given that Rui seemed as calm as ever while this went on. 

While this wasn't all that different from how Rui helped him out during dance practices, the one thing eating away at Aru's mind was that it was just the two of them. Of course, the two have had practices with just them but this was different, this was a date.  _ A date _ . The words echoed in Aru’s head as he suddenly became more conscious of how close the two of them were. When Aru snapped out of his spiral his vision was filled with blue, a concerned Rui was staring him in the face.

“Aru-kun are you okay? You’re spacing out…” Rui’s brow furrowed. Their faces were only inches away from each other and Aru could feel his face heating up again.

“I-I’m sorry!” Aru exclaimed as he reeled back a bit, “s-sorry, I just got a bit distracted by how close we were…” His voice was barely audible as he covered his face with a hand in embarrassment.

A look of realization flashed across Rui’s features as pink began to dust his cheek. "I… I apologize, part of me just thought of this as just another dance lesson. I should have been a bit more conscious of the fact that this is a date…” Rui looked apologetic as he put a little distance between himself and Aru.

“N-nonono! You have nothing to apologize for Rui-kun!” Aru said in panic as he closed the distance between them again, “I was just… Maybe a little overwhelmed, but it made me really happy that you were comfortable enough with me to get so close without thinking!” Aru’s gaze fell to the ground as he held on to Rui’s sleeve, “i-it’s just… Being with you like this is really a dream come true, I can’t help but think you could be with someone that’s w-way better than me…” Aru’s voice cracked as he made this confession, his eyes focused on the ground the entire time and his hair hiding his expression.

“Aru-kun…” Rui’s voice was barely above a whisper and there was a hint of sadness in his voice. Rui’s hand ghosting over Aru’s cheek, unsure if it was okay for him to touch the other boy or not. “But what you didn’t realize is that in my eyes there isn’t anyone better than you…”

Upon hearing this Aru looked up in shock, his seafoam green eyes meeting Rui’s royal blue ones. He wasn’t sure how to respond but just as they were earlier Rui’s eyes were once again filled with love and Aru knew what he had just heard was sincere.

“How about we take a short break?” Rui said softly as he offered his hand to Aru again. Still at a loss for words Aru could only nod in response as he took Rui’s hand. Rui led Aru to a nearby bench in the shade and the two sat in silence for a moment.

Aru, trying to work up the courage to say anything glanced at Rui. The blue haired boy looked lost in thought, his gaze distant as the light that filtered through the leaves highlighted his soft features. It was like something out of a painting Aru had thought before Rui, feeling Aru’s gaze, turned towards him.

“Rui-kun, I…” Aru trailed off, he really had no idea what to say. “I’m sorry…” Aru’s arms fell limply at his sides as he looked down again.

Rui hooked his pinky around Aru’s, “I still don’t think you have anything to apologize for.” Rui sighed softly, “the human brain is a strange thing isn’t it, we can get so caught up in our own thoughts that we fail to see the things in front of us…” Aru met Rui’s gaze again, “actually, I was thinking about what you said earlier at lunch. How you said you’d tell me every day how wonderful I was… But, now that I think about it I feel like I should be the one doing it for you.” 

Aru’s breath hitched, “y-you don’t have to go through that kind of trouble Rui-kun!”

“No, please let me do this for you, it really isn’t any trouble at all.” Rui pleaded, “I know I’m not exactly the best when it comes to expressing my feelings but you really are such an amazing person and it hurts to hear you put yourself down…” Rui took Aru’s hand in his, rubbing small circles in the back of his hand, “I really do admire how you always look out for others, but in turn let me be the one that looks out for you, because I really do love you from the bottom of my heart Aru-kun.” Rui’s eyes were filled with conviction as he kissed Aru’s hand.

Aru could feel tears begin to well up and quickly threaten to overflow, “R-Rui-kun… T-thank you, I love you too… I don’t know how long it will take for me to see myself the way you do but, if you could bear with me until then?” Aru asked softly despite feeling that he already knew the answer.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way and every step that comes after.” Rui smiled as he shyly held his arms out offering a hug.

Aru practically jumped into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Rui’s waist and burying his face in the other boy’s shoulder. “Thank you… I love you to the end of the galaxy and back…” Aru murmured softly as he felt a wave of comfort wash over him and all his earlier insecurities practically melt away. Aru knew it would take time for him to learn how to love himself more, but he knew he could do it because Rui would be there to help him take the first step.

\--

After being in their own world for a spell the pair had decided that it was best they start heading home as the sun had begun to set.

“You really don’t have to walk me home Aru-kun,” Rui said as a serene smile graced his features.

“I suppose, but I want to stay with you a bit longer~” Aru laughed while nudging Rui's shoulder playfully, causing the other boy to blush.

"Well I can't really argue with that then can I." Rui sighed fondly as he slipped his hand into Aru's, this action beginning to feel almost as natural as breathing.

Rui's apartment was a fair way from the station but as the two chatted away hand in hand it really felt like no time at all. Before they knew it they were standing right outside the building.

"Well, I suppose this is where we say our goodbyes…" Surprisingly there was a hint of loneliness in Rui's voice.

"We don't have to say goodbye yet! Let me walk you up to your apartment!" Aru insisted, showing no intention of letting go of Rui’s hand just yet.

“How can I refuse if you put it that way.” Rui laughed, “alright, do you remember where it is?”

“Hmmm…” Aru’s brow furrowed in thought, “I have a vague idea! Alright let’s go!” Aru exclaimed confidently as he blindly led Rui into the apartment building.

At first, it seemed like a fun idea but after about 15 minutes of aimless wandering Aru gave up and let Rui take over. With Rui taking the lead it only took a few minutes before the two found themselves in front of his apartment.

“Aru-kun, thank you for today, I had a lot of fun.” Rui beamed, “it was also really nice to get a bit closer to you…” 

“Of course! Thank you for coming with me!” Aru’s face lit up, “I can’t even put into words how happy spending today with you made me,” pink began to dust his cheeks.

“Well, I love you, good night.” Rui said softly as he pressed a kiss to Aru’s hand and turned towards the door.

“U-um! Rui-kun!” Aru suddenly called out causing Rui to look at him again. Taking every ounce of courage in him Aru closed the distance between Rui and himself, kissing the blue haired boy. It was a short kiss but it surprised Rui enough that he stood in a daze with his hand ghosting over his lips. “I love you too! Good night, I’ll text you when I get home!!” Aru said quickly, giving Rui one last kiss on the cheek before rushing towards the elevator with a wave.

\--

When Aru returned home he threw himself onto the couch with a loud thud, startling Eru and Mayuge.

Eru glanced over the couch to find Aru with his face buried into a pillow, his ears visibly red. "Sooo how did the date go?"

"I… I kissed him." Aru's voice was barely audible as he spoke into the pillow.

"For real!? That's awesome I knew you could do it~!" Eru laughed as he patted Aru's head.

"WAH! I said I'd text him when I got home!" Aru suddenly shot up, causing Eru to jump back, and dove for his phone.

_ Rui-kun I made it home in one piece! _

_ That's good. _

_ Um, about earlier. _

_ Waah! I'm sorry it was a spur of the moment thing! _

_ No, no it's alright. _

_ I was just thinking, I may have to take a page out of Eru-kun's book and get you back for that. _

_ Rui-kun? _

_ I love you, good night. _

_ RUI-KUN?! _


End file.
